


Red and Yellow

by Autumn - Gaia (GaiaMaiden)



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaiaMaiden/pseuds/Autumn%20-%20Gaia
Summary: In violet, it ended, and the triumphant hero returned. What then awaits her in the crimson glow of the new day...?Following her initial return from her trials on the First, Autumn sets to writing of her adventure, and the implications of its consequences. Yet to a certain commander, the report she would receive, she would find lacking. Yet, the story only starts from there...Note: I'm not going to bother hiding it, this is my 'ship' story. I'm sorry ;w;
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

\--------  
  
…

Of critical note is that we now have confirmed the Ascian’s Modus Operandi concerning the elicitation of Umbral Calamities. The method involves a two-pronged approach:  
  
1) The tilting of the overall elemental balance in one of the ‘Shard’ worlds in favor of one element in particular. The choice of element is arguably inconsequential, all that matters is that the world’s equilibrium is disrupted by the overabundance of one in particular. However, it should be noted that care is taken to ensure that the world does not succumb to the element fully (such as the case involving the Thirteenth shard, aka the ‘Void’).  
2) The execution of a ‘trigger event’, presumably one of a disastrous nature. What can constitute a sufficient ‘trigger’ is still up for interpretation, however, it must be an event of sufficient power to otherwise weaken the dimensional boundary of the Source, such as an event that causes a significant loss of life or similar degree of destruction. It is theorized that the event must also coincide with the element of the target ‘Shard’ world, though this has yet to be confirmed.

Once the trigger event occurs, the target ‘Shard’ world breaks down completely, and is absorbed into the Source (ie our world). As a consequence of this absorption, the Source is subjected to a dangerous amount of aether aspected to the specific element that the Shard world was overabundant in, which serves to amplify the effects of the ‘trigger event’ exponentially. What would ordinarily have been an event that causes deaths in the hundreds would explode into one that would kill thousands, if not millions.

...

Right now, safeguards against these Rejoinings are limited. Our main defense at the moment involves the monitoring of the ambient aether around the world, specifically within crystals. As the concentration of a particular element reaches a breaking point in the Shard world, aether of that element begins to bleed into our world, and begins to manifest in the crystals found throughout our Star. The effect of this manifestation may change depending on the element used, however it was noted in the days prior to the Seventh Umbral Calamity that there was a disruption in the ambient aether throughout the world, and a thinning pattern was observed in the months just prior to the uncovering of the Ascian plot on the First, involving the Umbral element.  
  
Once such a trend has been identified, care must be taken with the monitoring of powerful forces present in the world, such as the Garlean Empire. Items such as the Meteor Project as well as the chemical agent known as Black Rose are examples of Garlean-led items sufficient to trigger a calamity, for example.

...

As learned through various sources (such as one Gaius van Baelsar), Black Rose’s lethal capacity comes from its ability to completely halt the aetheric flow within an individual. The Ascians had planned to unleash a large dose of Black Rose in multiple key battle positions near the frontlines. The significant loss of life would then prove sufficient basis for the weakening of the dimensional barrier for the Source, triggering the rejoining of the Umbral-Aspected First. This flood of Umbral-aspected aether would then serve to amplify the effects of Black Rose to an exponential degree, causing the effects of the gas to spread over the entirety of Eorzea and the world at large (despite initial exposure of the gas likely being limited to Gyr Abania), as well as spread to both the land itself and aetheric flows found therein, yielding untold levels of destruction to the environment on par (if not exceeding that) of the Seventh Umbral Calamity.

…

As a result of recent endeavors on the First, the Shard world in question no longer tilts as heavily towards the Umbral element, which by extension may mean that the destructive potential of Black Rose has been reduced. This does not mean, however, that Black Rose is no longer a threat; far from it in fact. Its capacity to halt the aetheric flow in an individual is likely still very much present, and efforts made toward the full destruction/neutralization of the compound should proceed apace.  
  
What can be hypothesized is that its capacity to elicit an Umbral Calamity has been blunted, hopefully to a point that (in the worst-case scenario) even if the compound is unleashed, the damage will be limited to the site(s) of exposure.

Furthermore, as a consequence of aforementioned recent endeavors, one of the biggest proponents in the Garlean Empire for the production of Black Rose has also been silenced. With any luck, this should mean that the overall threat of Black Rose will eventually fade quietly into the annals of history.

…

As always, any additional questions in relation to this report can be forwarded to Tataru Taru at the Scions of the Seventh Dawn HQ located in Mor Dhona. Though I may not be always present due to current pressing concerns, know that I will provide answers to any questions at my earliest opportunity.

~Autumn Dawn

\--------

As another hot sun glared over Rhalgr’s Reach, the crimson-garbed commander of the Ala Mhigan Resistance listlessly thumbed her way through the report in her hands for what seemed like the hundredth time. No matter how many times she went through it, however, she could not help but shake a mild sense of betrayal. A grimace on her face grew steadily as she made her way over to the commander’s tent towards the back of the Resistance base.

She was no stranger to Autumn’s reports on her adventures, so to see one concerning her most recent endeavors was of no surprise to her. However, the report in her hands seemed… short. Limited. Though it carried no shortage of important information--especially for the Eorzean Alliance, she could not help but feel as if there was even more so missing from it. Had she only ever known work with the Resistance, she likely would never have had such a feeling to begin with.

When Autumn went to write her ‘reports’, there were typically two different versions. One was considered the “public” version: A summary of the more important points or developments, made available to the general public… which, more often that not, was still limited to the leadership of the Eorzean Alliance. Her Elezen comrade had written many such reports for as long as she knew her, but the actual distribution of even a portion of them became a habit of sorts due in large part to the Bloody Banquet--though many of the reports covering events prior to said banquet would be written long after the fact.

The other version, however, was typically kept in-house with the Scions; a comprehensive detailing of every last event that had occurred and every last topic related to such events. This version tended to include more sensitive topics or pieces of information that the Archons otherwise wished to control who was privy to them... or details considered either unnecessary to share or too outworldly to be believed. The intricacies involved with the summoning of primals was one (commonly occurring) example of the former. Chasing after sheep due to the whims of a lovelorn ‘child of the sun’, an example of the latter.

In the past, the only reports she had ever _actually_ bothered to read were the ones that covered the time between Autumn’s flight to Ishgard up until reuniting with her at one of the Griffin's rallies, and even then, she could only qualify _that_ as “glancing” over things for the sake of catching up with current events. The bulk of the reports, she typically left to Papalymo, Urianger or Y’shtola to read--though the last of them would have to wait a period of time until after the adoption of more aether-conductive ink to continue doing so. Regardless, the latter of the versions of these reports often rivaled the sizes of tomes found amongst the possessions of her former colleagues, as opposed to the small essay in front of her, so Lyse was given to believe that she had been given a copy of the former.

 _I’d like to think my time with the Scions amounted to_ **_something_ ** _at least. I know I was the one that left_ **_them_** _, but does that doesn’t magically mean I can’t be trusted anymore!_

Such a thought was one that commonly went through her mind upon the realization of this slight. One that would have likely persisted, had she not received a particular letter in recent days; a letter that she kept at the very back of the report ever since:

\--------  
  
 _Lyse,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. It has been far too long since we’ve last had the chance to talk with one another, and_ _much_ _has happened in the interim._

 _Something you’ve likely picked up upon in recent days, assuming you’ve had enough time to read through my most recent report. That being said, if I know you well enough, you’ll have found said report criminally lacking, and for good reason. I will reiterate that_ _much_ _has happened, and I still wrestle with the decision of whether it is necessary to tell the other Alliance leaders about much of it or not. At the very least, the recent developments concerning Black Rose--as well as the nature of umbral calamities--warranted discussion, considering everyone is already on the same page about the Ascians and their involvement with the Empire._

 _However, I do want to get the opportunity to talk with you at length about much of what I left off of said report, assuming that you can steal yourself away from the frontlines long enough. You are still a Scion in my eyes, so I figured you deserved that much at least. I do not wish to discuss much over an easily interceptable letter, but at the very least, I can tell you this: I did indeed manage to find our friends, and they’re… well, as safe and sound as they_ _can_ _be, I suppose. The situation is a bit complicated however, and bringing them home will prove difficult… to put things mildly._

 _The next few days, I intend to keep myself scarce. Despite making a promise to over a dozen different people at this point, I’ve not been able to rest very much since my return from the First. Part of that is self-inflicted I admit, what with the writing of my reports among other things, but I felt that_ _that_ _information at least needed to be shared ASAP. With all of that out of the way now though, I fully intend on finally giving myself some much needed rest. As such, I’d advise you to send your reply to my personal residence… assuming contact via linkshell isn’t an option. If you’ve forgotten the address for whatever reason, just check the return address for this letter._

_I look forward to speaking with you again,_

_~Autumn_

\--------

Mercifully, linkshell communication _was_ an option; Lyse still knew the channel that Autumn was wont to use, and the fighting on the frontlines had calmed to a point that the Ala Mhigan commander had more than enough time to make contact. Though their conversation was brief, the two of them jovially agreed to meet at a specified time a scant few days later.  
  
And now, such a day had unceremoniously arrived, and Lyse made herself busy with refreshing her memory on Autumn’s findings as she tidied up the large table that was now in front of her. What responsibilities she couldn’t pawn off on her right-hand woman, M’naago, she had managed to get squared away earlier in the day. All that remained was for Autumn to appear.

A wait that would prove seemingly short-lived. As the appointed hour soon arrived, the silhouette of a white and yellow garbed Elezen slowly approached the commander’s tent, her metal sabatons shimmering brightly from the harsh sun overhead. Such a shine did not exist around her face, however, as--surprisingly enough--it was in plain view for all to see.

“Lyse!”

Autumn waved her right hand high over her head as she made it within shouting distance.

“Autumn! Good to finally see you again!”

The two women shared a brief hug before Lyse stepped back to get a better look of Autumn. Though her outfit was noticeably different in some places compared to her usual monk attire, Lyse was still greatly impressed with how similar Tataru was able to make her dancer outfit to the previous one. In fairness, had it not been for a chance discovery of an entire wardrobe’s worth of equipment amongst the treasure trove found in the ruins of Skalla, it likely would have proven an impossible endeavor. How Autumn had managed to get a hold of a piece of Skallic clothing prior to exploring the area with Alphinaud and Arenvald, she never did find out, so the discovery of a more dancer-suited jacket proved a boon and a half.

Yet it was Tataru’s deft hands that helped refurbish the jacket, and create the remainder of her outfit altogether. The leather gauntlets, the short yellow pants, and the crowning jewel of the outfit--from the Lalafell’s own words--the retrofitted Allagan sabatons, purpose built for “the dancer on the go”. In all actuality, it was simply a lighter version of the ones Autumn wore as a monk, complete with a slightly different coat of paint, but Tataru insisted it was “a metallurgical marvel; a true work of art!”

She didn’t know enough about smithing to risk an argument, so she let the Lalafell have her moment.

“Oh! Before we get going on anything,” Autumn started as she reached behind her, “I figured I should give this back.”

The Elezen produced a familiar white visored turban from the bag behind her waist. Lyse recognized it straight away: the mask that belonged to her sister…

Or at least, a _replica_ of said mask. The actual mask had never actually left her possession, save the day she and Autumn liberated Ala Mhigo. From what Autumn confessed to her, she had had a replica made of said mask in an effort to--in short--bring attention to herself. _I had hoped that I might start rumors of one of the Scions adventuring around in Coerthas, as a means of attracting the rest of you all out of hiding to us_ , she said. _That, or at least attracting some of our pursuers to us, if only so I could possibly deal with them._

Lyse never got around to asking how effective said strategy was. All that she _did_ know was how embarrassed Autumn was when the two of them stumbled into each other in Southern Thanalan. Following her joining back up with the Scions, Autumn surrendered the replica mask over to her and promised to not have anything like it made ever again, at least not without her knowledge--and permission.

Said replica sat around collecting dust until Tataru came to her looking for some input into the finishing touches for Autumn’s dancer outfit. Though the rest of her outfit was more or less complete, Tataru had trouble working out a proper head piece to round out the set. Considering that Autumn would likely be seeking out the incapacitated Scions in some fashion, Lyse figured it was a strategy worth reprising.

“You did mention in your letter that you found them… did it help?”

“I’d say it did. Certainly sped up the recognition portion of some of my reunions, that’s for sure.” Autumn scoffed as she looked away. “Didn’t stop me from getting a battalion of arrows and magic rods pointed at my face at one point, but there were some… extenuating circumstances in that particular case.”

Lyse shot Autumn a look of equal parts surprise and concern.

“It’s fine! Nothing we couldn’t talk ourselves out of! And nothing at fault to the mask or anything, I promise.”

She gestured for Lyse to take the mask from her outstretched hand, but Lyse only shook her head in response.  
  
“Keep it. It does work rather well with your new outfit after all! Not to mention it’s not like I wear it much myself anymore.”  
  
Autumn staggered back slightly out of surprise at the remark. “A-are you sure?”

Lyse gave a quick nod and flashed a smile at her. Autumn reciprocated with a weak smile of her own before stowing away the mask back inside her bag.

“...A battalion of archers and mages huh? Sounds like you got into quite a bit of trouble while you were away!”

“Y-yeah…” Autumn chuckled, “though that was only just one little bit. Boy, do I have quite the story to tell this time…”

The end of her sentence trailed off as she began to scan her surroundings.

“Speaking of which, did you have any particular place in mind to talk about such things in private? I’d consider at the very least going back to the Rising Stones, but even _that’s_ a bit of a trek from here, and I’d rather not deprive the Resistance of their commander with the Garleans still right on their doorstep.”

“Well… what’s wrong with right here?” Lyse replied. “Unless what you wanna talk about is _really serious_ or something…”

“W-well… I mean… I suppose much of it isn’t at the end of the day, but… well… umm… I-it’d just be nice to talk about everything without any distractions and well… s-sometimes you’d never know about these kinds of things and… a-ahh....” Autumn began tripping over her own words as she tried to think of a proper retort, fidgeting in place all the while.

Seeing Autumn’s hesitancy, Lyse began to quietly think through a number of suitable locations nearby. 

“...How about the Temple of the Fist then? After you went through and cleaned things out with that one researcher, we’ve put some effort into restoring the place, especially after hearing rumors of a new Fist of Rhalgr being founded. The recent fighting with Garlemald forced us to divert most of our people working on it away, so it should be empty at the moment.”

“I suppose that’ll work well enough,” Autumn conceded.

The two stood quietly in place for a few moments.

“...Well?”  
  
“Well what? After you!”  
  
“After-! If I recall correctly, isn’t the host supposed to lead the way?”  
  
“The _host_?! Autumn, you-! ...You and your bloody rules; you really need to get that head of yours out of your books more!”

“Well pardon _me_ for trying to be polite...!”

The conversation slowly trailed off as the two made their way up the nearby tunnel. Far off to the side, a Miqo’te woman with a tanned complexion could be seen quietly chuckling to herself as the show before her came to an end…


	2. Chapter 2

“You remember how I got that message from that red-robed man to look for a ‘beacon’ he left at the Crystal Tower?”  
  
“Yeah, and how you mentioned that the tower was sealed tight.”  
  
“Well… it all started when Tataru told me they found a path to the _trenches_ around said tower.”

As they began their trek up the mountainside path, Autumn elected to start from the very beginning; How she had found the very beacon she was told to locate, and was summarily transported to the First. She spoke of the sight that first greeted her: a forest of vivid purple tucked in the center of a world locked in a hauntingly bright and golden sky.

She spoke of her first real encounter with the red-robed man; the man she would come to know as the Crystal Exarch. How he introduced her to the Crystarium: the home away from home and the so-called ‘last refuge from the Light’. How he spoke of their plight, explained what happened to her wayward friends, and invited her to seek out the first of them.

“Alphinaud was busy looking into a nation called Eulmore, which was the only other city-state that remained in the world. Alisaie, meanwhile, was in this desert region called Amh Araeng, looking into the Sin Eaters with Namryn-”

“Sin Eaters?”  
  
Autumn paused for a brief moment in reflex.

“Yeah…" she sighed, "The Sin Eaters.”

She spoke of the First’s gravest threat: Marble-white creatures who once counted among many of the First’s inhabitants, until the Flood of Light warped them into aether-starved monsters that sought only to feast and grow. A threat that was made all the more harrowing when dealing with the more powerful ones, as they had the ability to ‘infect’ others with their aether, transforming their victims into the selfsame creatures...

“If they sound similar to Voidsent, it’s because they kinda are. Only difference, beyond the elemental aspect, was that these ones don’t bother talking or trying to trick others. They just killed.”

“Sounds like something rather important, why not mention them to the Alliance?”

“I would if there was any evidence that they could make it to the Source like the Voidsent do already. No need to further burden the Alliance with a threat they may never even see, especially after all the effort we just went through dealing with them.”

“...You took care of them then?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

With that, she finally spoke of the end goal of her adventures in the First: The eradication of an extremely dangerous variant of Sin Eater: The Lightwardens. From what she learned from the Exarch, the Lightwardens were responsible for the continued dominance of the Light in their world, and their destruction would both free the First from its fate and spare the Source from a grim future...  
  
“An _eighth_ Umbral Calamity?! Are you serious?!” Lyse blurted.

“Yeah, though I would only learn the actual details about it once I reunited with Urianger. You saw in my report how I mentioned Black Rose’s destructive potential, right?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Well, that wasn’t conjecture. That happened… or well, it _would have_ happened. In our future, the Empire did end up unleashing the gas. To make a long story short… it basically destroyed the entire world. Civilization broke down entirely, and man killed man for what precious little remained. That’s why I was called to the First: To prevent that doomed future from happening.”

“Wait a minute! What are we doing here then?! We have to warn-!”  
  
“There’s no need anymore, I basically said as much in my report!” Autumn interjected. “Please tell me you actually _read_ the damn thing…”

“I _have_!” Lyse exclaimed while she quickly probed her memory. “Ah… right, you did mention ‘blunting’ it or something like that.”

“Indeed. When the last of the Lightwardens fell, the Light lost its figurative chokehold on the First. No more Light aether should be bleeding into our world now, and the First is no longer at risk of a rejoining,” Autumn explained. “Even if the Empire did unleash the gas now, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t trigger said calamity anymore.”

Lyse went deep into thought following the news. Things seemed more or less wrapped up if that was the case… and yet...

“...There’s still one part I don’t really get. You said these things were around for about _100 years_. Why did the Exarch wait that long to do anything about it?”

Autumn’s face contorted in confusion. “...Because it took that long to get the summoning spell right?”

“No no, that’s not what I-... What I mean is, did it have to be _you_ ? Instead of spending all that time and effort trying to get you to the First, couldn’t the Exarch have found… well... _anyone_ else to kill them instead?”

Lyse continued a few steps forward before noticing that Autumn was suddenly no longer at her side. She turned around to find the Elezen standing still just outside the gate to the summit courtyard, her face rapidly draining in color; as if she had just witnessed a ghost.

“...Autumn?”

“Huh?”  
  
“Are you alright?”

“I…”

Autumn looked towards her feet as she took in a few deep breaths. “He did, actually... However...”

She locked eyes with Lyse as she began to explain:  
  
“You see, there was a tricky caveat when dealing with the Lightwardens. As opposed to the more garden-variety Sin Eater, these creatures possessed so much aether within them that their aether _persisted_ even after they were killed. Worse yet… that aether would seek out a new host once freed, which was more often than not the very person that killed it. Once the aether takes hold… they become... a _new_ Lightwarden…”

“ _Gods_ …” Lyse shuddered. “So where do _you_ fit into this then?”

“The Exarch believed that a person that possessed the Blessing of Light would be otherwise immune to the corrupting influence of the Light aether. Better yet, he believed that they could _absorb_ it and wield the power alongside their own. That was the Exarch’s strategy: Summon forth a Warrior possessing Hydaelyn’s blessing and have _them_ slay the Lightwardens. Once all of the Light was absorbed, both worlds would be safe. Since there were no such individuals left on the First, he looked to the Source… and to me.”

“Though…” Autumn broke sight, turning away with a scowl rapidly creasing her face. “ _That_ strategy turned out to be a lie… or at least a partial one…” 

Everything within her told her that she would regret asking, but the curiosity proved too powerful for Lyse.

“...What happened?”

And so Autumn told her, through pained and trembling breath. She told her about how the Exarch knew that his plan was doomed from the start. Though the Blessing did indeed offer some level of protection from the Light, the combined aether of 5 Lightwardens was far too much for any one person to handle.

She told her how their body finally began to break down once she absorbed the fifth and final Warden; how pain wracked her entire body as the Light finally began to consume her soul and corrupt her form, and how in that moment of terror, the Exarch revealed to everyone his true plan: To take the Light aether upon himself and teleport both it and himself into the interdimensional rift. An act destined to end with his death, but would lead to the salvation of two worlds.

...And she told her about the gunshot that rang out at the moment of the Exarch’s victory. Of the Ascian that found them lacking, and whom, in that moment, condemned Autumn to the fate of becoming a Sin Eater; a mindless monstrosity that was destined to bring an end to the First and ruination to the Source…

“A-as you can see t-though… e-everything worked out i-in the end…” Autumn attempted to make light of things with a soft chuckle, but what came out instead was more a concerning whimper as she visibly trembled in place.

Lyse watched her with dread for some time before gingerly closing the distance between the two and placing both her hands on the Elezen’s shoulders, trying to both comfort and steady her.

“Autumn? Autumn. Autumn, listen to me real quick.”

She lightly slapped Autumn’s cheek in an effort to snap her out of her apparent breakdown.

“Hey, everything’s alright now, right? You’re safe and sound now, that’s what matters… right?”

Though it would take a few precious seconds, the act would do the trick, as Autumn ceased her trembling, refocusing her sight back on the (now much closer) woman in front of her.

“Ah… s-sorry about that. Guess it’s gonna take a bit more time before I can… get over that little bit,” she rasped.

Lyse looked up at Autumn with a smile on her face. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

The Hyuran woman backed up a step or two as she looked around the area. Her sight soon settled on a low but wide rock some distance between the center of the courtyard and nearby cliff.

“How ‘bout we take a quick breather!” chirped Lyse, as she pointed to the selfsame rock. Autumn quietly nodded in response, and the two walked over to the rock, taking a seat along the edge facing towards the cliff.

The next few minutes passed in relative quiet. A light breeze could be felt on the air as the sun continued shining brightly overhead. Lyse alternated between looking up at the sky and over at her friend, waiting for her to calm down completely before she prodded her any further. Autumn, in the meanwhile, looked downward toward her own lap while taking a few more deep breaths in and out. Her eyes darted about as she tidied up the swirling thoughts and emotions in her head; a sight commonplace to many of her friends and colleagues.

When it appeared that Autumn was finally back to her typical self, Lyse went to restart the conversation from before.

“So… both you and the First are safe and sound, and you’re back home now. What happens next? I assume you guys have a plan of sorts.”

“We do,” Autumn sighed. “You see, the Exarch wasn’t aiming to throw his life away in a selfish fit of heroic sacrifice. His death was also meant to undo the summoning spell that brought me and the rest of the Scions to the First. Of course… him _surviving_ has kind of thrown a figurative wrench into said plans, so now everyone--Exarch included--is looking into finding a way of sending everyone back home that doesn’t intrinsically involve killing him.”

Autumn leaned back, her gaze stretching up heavenward. “Naturally, such a plan is gonna take some time to get worked out, and they didn’t want me running myself any more ragged than I already had, so... they sent me off to get some rest.”  
  
She turned away and closed her eyes while making an overdramatic pout. “Didn’t want to make _mother_ angry at me for refusing rest again…”

Lyse giggled in response. There was little need to ask who she was talking about.  
  
“I guess I shouldn’t try and read to _her_ your letter to me then!” Lyse teased.

“Ugh... Yes, I know I know. I can’t help it, I never really did like sitting still. Always gotta be doing _something_ in my spare time. Which has been _thinking_ , more often than not as of late.”  
  
“What about?”  
  
“All sorts of things, I suppose. But… I’ll admit, there has been one thing in particular that has been on my mind quite a bit as of late.”

Another more haggard sigh escaped Autumn’s lips as she began to recount her thoughts.

“I keep thinking back to that point after I was brought back down from Mt. Gulg. When I was effectively three steps away from being consumed by the Light raging within me. Now, before I say anything else, I want to make _this_ abundantly clear: If it wasn’t for the support the other Scions gave to me that day, as well as the ensuing days after, I’m almost positive that I wouldn’t have made it in the end. I’ll be eternally grateful for it.”

She readjusted herself on her makeshift seat while keeping her gaze pointed downward. Almost as if she was admitting something she was deeply ashamed of.

“However, part of me… wanted _more_ , in a manner of speaking. Given the circumstances, I had to keep up a strong front for everyones’ sake; they were counting on me just as much as I was on them, so it wouldn’t do anyone any good if I just broke down then and there,” Autumn confessed. “To say nothing of course of the potential for me to succumb to the Light if I did so besides.”

She turned to Lyse for a moment to accentuate her last remark with a wry grin and an accompanying carefree shrug.

“But at the same time… a large part of me wished that I could have had that opportunity; the opportunity to just… _break down_. To cry. To _be_ sad. And thinking about that made me realize something rather somber. Although I would trust everyone there on the First with my life… I don’t really feel as though I could be that… _personal_ with any of them?”  
  
“Personal?” queried Lyse.

“Well like, back then… I didn’t feel like I really had someone I could… confide in? No… maybe not _confide_ … though I’m struggling to come up with a better word for it at the moment. Someone that I could have just… cried on their shoulder or in their arms or something. Someone to be able to have voiced all my fears and concerns to. Not as a Warrior of Light or Darkness or what have you… but simply as a person. Despite all of them being at my side till the very end--Thancred, Urianger, Y’shtola, Ryne, and the Twins… I realized after the fact that I still felt… _alone_.”

She looked back to Lyse, shooting her a look full of concern.

“Do I make any sense? Like… In all honesty, I feel like what I just said was wrong. I feel like any of them would have let me if I asked, but… there’s… _something_ there preventing me from asking?”

Lyse watched Autumn closely as they fidgeted in place, certainly trying their best to get their point across. She thought about how best to respond, but after what felt like ages, she went with the first thought she could think of.

“I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on such things, but it sounds to me like you could have used a companion of sorts?”  
  
“Companion? But I had like… six! Seven if you include Ardbert!”

“N-no, not like that! I mean like… you could have used someone you… I don’t know, loved?”

Autumn stared blankly back at her for a few seconds.

“But… I love... all of them?”  
  
“Oh, Rhalgr take me- _in love_ Autumn, _in love_! A lover! I don’t know how to make things any more obvious!”

Autumn jumped in place. “A _lover_?! I-!” Her face flushed red for a moment before returning to normal just as quickly, a realization dawning in her head.

“I… actually think I get what you’re saying, though I don’t know if I would intrinsically involve loving in _that_ kind of fashion. Kind of like what Nanamo and Raubahn had at least, right? A more personal relationship, not a strictly professional one.”

Lyse considered Autumn’s guess for a second. “I… _suppose_ that works… though…” A look of surprise flashed upon her face, followed by the formation of a sly grin as she realized her opportunity. “You know... now that I think about it, you’ve never really talked about that kind of stuff before, or at least with me!”  
  
“Wh-wha?” stammered Autumn.

“Hells, you’ve not really talked about yourself all that much at all! Besides, we’re both adults here, and there’s no one else around to hear anything particularly _embarrassing_. I could do with some lighter talk myself anyways; Come on, it’ll be fun!”  
  
“And _unlike_ last time with Y’shtola, there’s no tea or pastries to hide behind this time!” Lyse added, playfully pointing at Autumn.

“Wha-wait, what do you mean-!” yelped Autumn, doing her best to limit her flustering. “...Wait, _does_ Y’shtola have a lover?”

“I… don’t know really. She sounded like she _was_ gonna tell at one point, but then she just kinda… stopped. And well… I admit, I was kinda too scared of her to keep prodding...” Lyse’s final few words trailed off into a soft mumble.

“Hmm… Wait-!“ Autumn moved to speak while swiftly raising her hand in indignation before she stopped herself in the act. A thought or two whizzed through her head before she slumped down in defeat.

“Same,” served as her meager follow-up.

Autumn was hoping that the conversation would quietly die out with the wind, but Lyse’s expectant stare proved that she would not find this respite so easily.

“I’m not sure what you expect out of me though,” Autumn listlessly replied. “In all honesty, I’ve not really ever had time to consider such things. Always too busy to do so; first as an academic trying to make sure she passed all her classes, then as an adventurer trying to realize her crazy dream, and now as a Warrior of Light, trying to keep now _two_ worlds from blowing up.”

“Well, because of all your adventuring, you’ve certainly met all sorts of different people. Many of whom are in rather powerful positions no less!” Lyse teased. “From what you made things sound like, I imagine that Exarch fellow would be _thrilled_ if you confessed to him!”

“Oh, I’m _sure_ he would,” Autumn grumbled.

“...Not quite right?”  
  
“If I’m being completely honest, I’m still kind of mad at him for not telling me about his actual plan. To say nothing of it coming within literal seconds of backfiring on an apocalyptic scale, of course.”

“Besides,” Autumn shrugged, “Though I do harbor feelings for him--and I’m sure my confession to him would send him over the moon in joy--I feel like he might reject me out of principle. Either by citing his advanced age or his self-admitted reverence of me. After all he has done for me, he certainly deserves all the love in the world, but somehow I feel as though he wouldn’t allow such a relationship between us. Especially since there’s still the realistic chance that he might die in order to send everyone back.”

“Fair enough, I suppose,” Lyse conceded. “Well, there’s certainly plenty of other options here. Mayhap the Lord Commander Aymeric, or the new King of Doma, Hien? I imagine even Raubahn’s an option too, as long as you promise to not keep him away from the frontlines when I need him!”

Lyse gave off an energetic laugh as Autumn sat hunched forward, one leg crossed on top of the other as she rested her head on one of her hands. The latter shared a quiet giggle of her own before she looked outward towards the sky again.

“Hmmm… And who’s to say the discussion is limited to just _men_ either…” she said, absentmindedly.

“Yeah!”

…

…

“...Wait, what?!” Lyse shot Autumn a double-take as the Elezen’s last words finally finished processing through her mind.

Autumn sat silently in her previous position for a few moments longer before the sudden bout of silence broke her from her daydreaming. “W-what?”

“You’re into _women_?!”

Realization finally dawned on what Autumn had inadvertently muttered aloud. “Well I mean-! I-!” she initially stammered out, before stopping herself. She clenched her eyes tightly shut to get her words in order.

“Like I said, I hadn’t really given it all that much thought, okay?! I mean, I-I guess? I genuinely never really sat down and worked things out! Always too busy!”  
  
“...You have time now, don’t you?,” Lyse hinted.

 _She’s right I suppose,_ Autumn thought. She took a quick pass through many of her memories, looking for any emotions that stuck out in her mind more so than others.

“Well… I guess it can be fair to say that I can appreciate anyone’s… <ahem> _beauty_ as much as the next person. Which is to say, I suppose there are things I like from all sides, from a physical standpoint. I usually put more stock into the person _themselves_ however, and how they treated both myself and others.”

Autumn timidly shied away, her face growing increasingly red. “...Anything more _physical_ at that point was more of an afterthought, I swear!”

Lyse patted Autumn on the shoulder in response. “It’s fine Autumn, really! Like I said, we’re both adults here. No need to be ashamed or anything!”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips before she continued. “That being said, I have to admit, I never expected something like _that_ out of you!”

“Hey now, don’t make fun of me!” piped Autumn, her face once more flustered. “I’d argue moments like this are exactly why I don’t open up like this so often! People always seem to laugh at me whenever I do for some reason or another…” A low growl punctuated her annoyance.

Lyse gave Autumn’s shoulder another light pat while flashing her a pitying smile. “Well… if we _are_ including women too… well how about this, what people do _you_ have in mind? I probably shouldn’t be trying to play matchmaker for you anyways!”

 _Women huh…_ Autumn quietly mused, before she began to comb through her memories once more.

“I guess a good starting point would be Yugiri, if a certain Heavensturn party gave me any indication.”

“ _Oh?_ ”

“Easy there, Lyse,” Autumn cautioned. “Alcohol was kind of involved in that case. That being said, she is a very strong person--in more ways than just physical--and deeply cares for both her people and her friends besides.”

The Elezen massaged her chin as she delved back into her thoughts. “I suppose I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Alisaie in _some_ capacity… if she had a few more years on her that is. As much as she’d probably join the Exarch over the same aforementioned moon if I confessed to her, at this point I feel more akin to a _mother_ to her than anything even _approaching_ a potential lover.”

“Oh gods,” Lyse chuckled. “If you _did_ confess to her, I bet she’d lose her mind!”

 _What I wouldn’t give to get the chance to adopt the poor girl… among others._ The singular thought floated silently through Autumn’s mind before she started to move on from the willful red mage.

 _Who else? Probably should stay away from the Steppe in general. Cirina’s interest in Hien was blatantly obvious to everyone but the man himself, and no way am I_ **_willingly_ ** _stepping into the whole Sadu/Magnai quagmire._

 _Speaking of the Steppe… no, Namryn would probably kill me if I even_ **_joked_ ** _about it. I imagine Raradi would refuse out of principle as well; I can’t imagine it being appropriate for retainers to date their employer besides._

_...Grand Company leaders? No… probably not. Nanamo would get too complicated for countless reasons, and the other two… well they have their own thing going on, I imagine. Markedly different reasons, but similar things in the end._

_...I dare not try anything with Lucia. Pairing her with anyone other than Aymeric would be a crime against romance as a whole. Truth be told, I might stay away from that man for the same reason. I suppose Hilda wouldn’t be the worst choice in the world, though only the Fury herself would know how that relationship would go..._

“Hmmm....” Making little headway, Autumn glanced back over to Lyse in the hopes of inspiration breaking her through her latest mental roadblock.

She would end up barreling straight through it instead, as a sudden flood of emotions and memories rushed into the forefront of her mind. One in particular stood out from others: The memory of a Namazu being launched into the air and then summarily caught on a shoulder. It was--in essence... a reminder.

The body soon caught up with the mind. All of her face and the tops of her ears lit up into a veritable sea of red as she quickly turned away, wishing that the mask stashed within her belongings would suddenly materialize upon her head. Her hands would have to suffice for the moment.

“Oh! Oh! Looks like we have a winner!” Lyse shouted, bouncing in place in excitement.

Autumn turned further away, a panicked whimpering being the only thing she contributed further to the conversation. Her mind, however, was a different story: _Am I really so dense?! ...Crap, this isn’t good! Why now?! Why did it finally hit me_ **_now_ ** _of all times?!_

“Come on! Tell me who it is! I promise I won’t tell anyone else!”

“N-no!”

“Oh no you don’t Autumn! You can’t just react like _that_ and not tell me!”

“No!”

Lyse leaned closer towards Autumn, hoping to pressure out a satisfactory response.

“Autumn!”

“J-just drop it Lyse!”

“Tell me damn you! You’re not getting off that easily!”

Lyse had a hold on the closer of Autumn’s shoulders, practically shaking the woman for an answer. The pressure soon became too much to bear.

“ _It’s you, alright?! IT’S YOU!_ ”

The whole world around the two went deafeningly silent.

…

...

 _...Oh gods, what have I done._ _  
_


	3. Chapter 3

“Wha… what?” stumbled Lyse, visibly blindsided.

Her words may as well have been a slight breeze in the air to Autumn. Panic consumed her mind to the point that the world around her ceased to exist. There were seemingly no sounds or sights that would reach her through the torrent of curses and fearful predictions that otherwise consumed her consciousness.

The confession had left the Ala Mhigan speechless. Of all the answers she expected to hear… _that_ certainly wasn’t one of them.

“ _M-me_? I… But… Compared to everyone else, I’m… not sure what you see in me…”

“You’re joking right?” peeped Autumn, all traces of fear on her face abruptly replaced with abject confusion.

Startled by the Elezen’s radical shift in mood, Lyse simply shook her head in response. This prompted Autumn back into contemplation, searching for the proper place to start.

“Well… I admit there’s a bit of bias here. From the very moment I first met you, I couldn’t help but hold a form of kinsmanship with you,” Autumn started. “Imagine how I felt at the beginning of… well _everything_! A novice, masked pugilist whose adventuring career got off to an exciting start thanks to a stolen crown and a few lucky runs in some dungeons, suddenly recruited by a then-womanizing ‘bard’ into a then-secretive organization set on effectively saving the world. While I’m being introduced to everyone in said organization, who would I see but _another_ masked pugilist already standing amongst their ranks! And another woman at that too, what were the odds of it all?! If you were Elezen, I dare say I would have lost it right then and there!”

“...To be honest, I couldn’t help but think that Thancred was pulling a joke on me when I first saw you,” Lyse revealed. 

Autumn gave off a soft chuckle, her tension easing as the words kept flowing. “Of course, I had to be patient until our investigation into the Sylphs before I could learn anything more about you. What little there was anyways: a free-spirited woman with no shortage of optimism and cheer... to an arguable fault.”

“Hey!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Autumn waved out, before turning away slightly. “Though, if we’re being completely honest here, I have to admit… I initially found you a little… annoying…”

“ _Hey!_ ”

Autumn immediately snapped back towards Lyse, waving her hands frantically in apology. “I know I know, I’m sorry! I need to preface that before anything else though! And I will stress the word _initially_ ,” she continued, pointing a finger up on each hand. “Such a sentiment would likely have continued… had it not been for the events that followed my initial slaying of Titan.”   
  
“When the Garleans attacked the Waking Sands,” Lyse added.

“Right. It was… arguably one of the most difficult moments in my life… or at least as a Scion,” Autumn professed. “Before Alphinaud found me at that church, I was more or less on my own… up against an entire Empire and a handful of primals besides. As much as it shames me to admit, I genuinely considered just… giving up right then and there! Hells, even _with_ Alphinaud, I didn’t have much in the way of hope at first.”

“You wanna know what got me through all that?” asked the Elezen.

“What?”  
  
“Don’t laugh… but… I asked myself, ‘What would Yda do?’”

“Really?! Not Y’shtola or Papalymo?” Lyse replied.

“I mean, there _was_ a certain someone I could take _direct_ inspiration from!” countered Autumn, motioning to the Hyur in front of her. Lyse conceded the point in the form of shying away from Autumn, mildly embarrassed.

“Not for nothing… in the early days of my adventuring, I couldn’t help but try to emulate you in some fashion. Though…” Autumn paused. “It wasn’t till after that attack that I truly put stock into such thinking. As I was back then, I was scared… lost… and believed myself too weak to be much of _any_ help. _I_ was useless--way in over my head… but what about ‘the brave Scion Yda’? ‘Yda wasn’t useless, so what would _she_ do?’”

“‘She would charge straight in, with a smile on her face until everything got better’!” Autumn declared as defiantly as she had back then. “So, that’s how I tried to carry myself back then. I didn’t have the confidence back then, so I ‘faked it till I made it’, as I’ve heard people say. And well, everything worked out so well that even after I managed to meet back up with you and Y’shtola and we all freed the others from the Castrum, I just kept going with it!” 

“Something I’m glad I did in the end, _especially_ in the days just after the Banquet,” she added. "Hells, _almost_ made that time period bearable as a result.”

“Oh, so is _that_ why you had someone remake my sister’s mask?” Lyse quipped.

... _Crap._

Autumn forced a weak smile, while the twitching of her right eye otherwise betrayed her attempt at keeping composure. “W-well… _yes_ , but also no. I-I wasn’t joking about that strategy about finding you guys. And such a mask was a rather easily recognizable…”

Her sentence trailed off into silence in the face of Lyse’s cold stare.

“<sigh>... Is it really _that_ surprising to you, considering my usual choice in headwear?”

It was an admittedly feeble attempt at deflection, but one that seemed to work.

“Alright, I’ll give you that one.”

“Regardless,” Autumn resumed, “Even just _knowing_ you back then gave me _so much_ strength. You showed me by example that what I was doing--this mad dream of mine to become a Monk--was _possible_.”

“...You mean _Yda_ showed you it was possible,” derided Lyse, scoffing to herself.

“No… _you_ did,” Autumn corrected. “Remember, I never got the chance to know your sister; The other Scions may have known better, but you _were_ Yda as far as I was aware of. Or do you mean to tell me that _you_ didn’t exist _at all_ while you had that mask on?”

What response Lyse would have retorted with was lost to silence; the words choking in her throat, unable to fully refute Autumn’s question. Even she wasn’t entirely sure how much it was more _her sister_ or _herself_ who acted in those days.

“While we’re on _that_ particular topic,” Autumn continued, “I’ll admit, the day you revealed yourself to me--as _Lyse_ … part of that shook me to my core. Not in the sense that I felt that you were an _entirely_ different person when you did so, but more so the act of you abandoning both your mask and your assumed identity! Here I was, an accomplished adventurer who had long since both redeemed _and_ exonerated her family--and had thus lost all reason to continue hiding herself from the world at large--and yet I _still_ hid behind _my_ mask and _my_ ‘identity’... like some form of security blanket!”

A light fit of chuckling came forth from the Elezen as she finished, laughing at herself in a seemingly derogatory fashion.

“Of course, I had never stopped to consider that… until I saw you do it yourself. The time between that moment and the day we first walked into Gyr Abania together… I kept asking myself: ‘Why _was_ I still hiding?’. After I made that realization, I finally started to try and… hide behind my mask _less._ Something that would take till our assault on Ala Mhigo for me to even partially realize, mind you, but… something I also likely would have never done if not for your example. That day, on the tower overlooking Baelsar’s Wall, you gave _me_ the courage to finally stop hiding myself.”   
  
“And of course!” she quickly added in an excited tone, “We’re skipping over _all_ of our adventure together, where I saw how unsure of yourself you were initially! Where, over the course of our travels, you slowly found _your own_ strength, _your own_ courage, _your own_ reason to fight! When the position of commander was thrust upon your lap, you _rose_ to the challenge! And you were none too bad in a fight besides!”

“And now look!” she exclaimed, standing up and gesturing out in front of her, “Ala Mhigo! _Free_! _By your hand_! A country that continues to grow into one where everyone supports one another; one where its citizens strive to this _day_ to not submit to fear and despair, no matter how easy it might be to succumb to hate, or close their eyes into the fake eternal bliss of a _particular_ primal!”

“‘Why you?’ Why _not you?!_ From almost the very beginning of my time here in Eorzea, you’ve been… hells, you’ve been my _Idol_! _My inspiration!_ How could I not-?!” Autumn came to an abrupt stop with her impassioned speech, visibly out of breath as she considered her next few words. She would sit back down at her original spot on the rock and turn back to Lyse before continuing--albeit at a much more muted volume: “...How could I _not_ see something in you? When I look into your eyes, I see this… _twinkle_. This… _shine_ in them. And when I do… I feel… _hope_. Hope for a brighter tomorrow. A hope that makes me want to fight for that tomorrow, with all that I am!”

“...A helpful quality for the coming days for Ala Mhigo, I would think,” Autumn whispered with a soft smile on her face.

As if acting as a figurative curtain dropping down to conclude the show, the sky began to shift into a cornucopia of oranges and yellows; a sign that the long day was finally coming to an end.

“Wow, didn’t think we had been here _that_ long,” remarked Autumn, as she stretched her arms up high. She glanced over at Lyse once more, who appeared to be lost in her own thoughts at the moment; her gaze pointed downward and her face betraying little emotion.

 _...Mayhap I was a little too heavy-handed,_ Autumn thought to herself. _I should… give her some space._

“I should probably call it a day here. I can feel my throat starting to go, and I don’t want to keep you _too_ much longer.”   
  
Autumn began to lift herself up off her seat in earnest. At this point, she did not want to try and think about the possible consequences of today; Whatever she could imagine would only give her greater anxiety. _Maybe it’s time I finally try to get past my aversion to alcohols… though maybe continue staying away from wine-_

“ _Agh!_ ”

\--

A sudden force knocked Autumn free from her thoughts and off of her balance, her back crashing back down onto the rock that she had been sitting on up until now. When her senses returned, she found herself looking directly up at an anxious Lyse, who had pinned the woman to the relative ground by holding the Elezen’s shoulders down with her hands.

“L-lyse?! What’s gotten into you-?!”

“Listen!” Lyse interjected. “Just… just listen for a second, okay?”

... _Listening_ , Autumn agreed internally. Her eyes would serve as the messenger, her mouth otherwise failing her.

Lyse closed her eyes for a few moments as she took in a handful of deep breaths.

“I know I’m not the best with words. That was always more Alphinaud’s forte. Or even Alisaie’s, as much as she wouldn’t care to admit it. But… well, here goes...”

Another breath, in… then out.

“I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for everything that you’ve done. For both me and the Scions, but especially for me. Liberating Ala Mhigo… that was something that I had always strived to do... even while I was a Scion. Yet I knew I couldn’t just ask them directly for help in the past, knowing what it would require them to do. Besides, there were always plenty more people out there in the world suffering and for often far worse reasons than just the imperials. I mean… look at bloody _Bahamut_! Made my wanting to chase off the Garleans from my homeland seem almost _selfish_ , by comparison!” Lyse simpered.

“I still held out some hope, however, that some day we’d get that chance… one that eventually _did_ come. I still remember that moment in the Reach, when Alphinaud asked how everyone thought about helping the Resistance; right before Zenos first attacked the Reach. I expected convincing you all to help would still be a tough sell somehow, though it turned out I was worried for nothing in the end!” she admitted. “Still, I can’t help but think back to when _you_ agreed...”

 _We can but carry on. For those we have lost. For those we can yet save. Besides, I personally owe much and more to the Ala Mhigans, if_ **_only_ ** _because of what their martial arts have done for me. Plus... I can tell how much this means to you, Lyse. So count me in._

The words echoed anew in Lyse’s head, as if Autumn had just freshly spoken them aloud.

“You weren’t just agreeing for my sake… You meant it. Every last word. I could just... tell, you know?” Lyse hinted. “But that wasn’t what struck me about your answer… it was how much I could feel that you _cared_. You _wanted_ to help; both me and my homeland. Not for any coin, or because you were the Warrior of Light, or out of any other obligation… you wanted to help simply for the sake of it!”

“But…” she paused, “You’ve _always_ been like that, haven’t you? For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve always had this genuine desire to help people. It didn’t matter if they were a close friend or a complete stranger! For instance, I never even got the chance to ask you about Alpa’s Gatekeepers, or helping out with M’naago’s collectible fund; you had already thrown yourself head first into their efforts by the time I even knew about them! And _that’s_ just stuff related to the Resistance!”

Her face suddenly soured, painful memories taking the stage.

“I… remember hearing about the lengths you went to in order to save... _them…_ the Scions. How you traveled across most of the world, desperate to find a way to wake them up. How you nearly ended up crippling yourself for just even a _chance_ of saving them. You always seem to place others before yourself, but not because of any self-hatred--I hope!--but because you care _that much_ about others. You have a big heart, Autumn… bigger than anyone else I know… and…”

Lyse hesitated, her face writhing in discomfort as she tried to force herself onward. A sinking feeling began to take root in Autumn’s stomach.

“I… I love you...” she eventually whispered.

Autumn’s eyes shot wide in shock as the world seemed to go silent around the two once more.

“And I always felt like my wanting you was… selfish!” Lyse suddenly exclaimed, her tone and pace accelerating. “The realm’s greatest adventurer… she could do so much better than me! She could _easily_ marry into nobility or royalty; no person in their right mind would reject you! That I dared to want to keep you to myself-! I just… I always felt so guilty thinking that! But now…! I just… I just want you to know now! I love you Autumn! I love you!”

“Ah… A-ah…” Autumn’s mouth hung open as she tried as she tried to stammer out a response.

But nothing would come; The sudden turn of events proving too much for her heart. The slayer of the Garlean Crown Prince, two unsundered Ascians, and countless Primals… defeated by a confession of love. All she could do was lay stunned on the rock, looking up at the expectant woman still on top of her.

...

_...Well? What are you waiting for? Isn’t this what you wanted?_

…  
  
 _Go on! Say it! You love her too!_

“I-I…”

More silence.

_Go dammit! Tell her!_

…

Lyse’s eyes began to dim, a sense of dread starting to take hold.

…

_Say something, godsdammit! Anything!!_

“A-ah…”

No part of her body would respond.

“I… I’m sorry…” Lyse muttered. “I guess… I guess I _was_ being too selfish.... I-I’m sorry…”

She released her hold on Autumn’s shoulders, and slowly began to pull away.

_DON’T LET IT END LIKE THIS!!!_

“!!!”

“ _G-gah_!”

In an instant, Autumn’s arms shot out around Lyse’s back before she had the chance to pull away any further. Caught off-guard by the sudden movement, Lyse lost her balance; her palms slamming onto the rock below her in an effort to avoid crashing down on the Elezen altogether. Though it resembled the scene just moments before, the distance had closed between the two slightly, with Autumn now keeping Lyse from moving away.

Tension hung thick in the air. Lyse dared not make a sound, waiting anxiously for Autumn to either finally speak... or to let her go.

A feeling seemingly shared by Autumn, if their face was any indication. The Elezen continued to look up at her almost fearfully, tears now forming in the corners of their eyes.

“I… I-I…”

Autumn struggled to make a sound, her mind at war with a body that had locked up in reaction to Lyse’s confession. She clenched her eyes shut at times, sharply taking in a breath each time she moved to speak, only to choke on the words time and time again.

“Autumn…?” whispered Lyse.

“I… I-!”

Autumn opened her eyes wide, tears freely streaming down her face as she tried to force a smile.

“I love you… Lyse!” she finally whimpered out, before breaking down into a stifled sobbing.

“A-Autumn, why are you crying?!”

“Because… because I’m _afraid_!” Autumn squeaked between sniffles. “T-the last time I loved anyone… they got themselves killed! Because of me! And I-! I don’t want to lose you too! And… and given who we both are.. I don’t…! I can’t…!” She clenched her eyes and jaws shut again in a futile effort to stop herself from crying any further.

Had Autumn still been looking upward, she would have seen Lyse returning a soft gaze towards her, looking for the best way to comfort her. Instead, the sensation of her chin being titled up by a hand would be Autumn’s first indication of a response.

“L-lyse-?”

She found herself cut off in the form of a kiss. Her eyes shot open once more in surprise… before closing again completely, allowing herself to be lost in the moment…


	4. Chapter 4

Some time later, as the sky had shifted to a vivid tapestry of oranges and reds, the two women could be seen lying next to one another on their backs, atop the selfsame rock that had served as a humble seat earlier. Despite being the taller of the two, Autumn had nestled herself into Lyse’s side, her head resting on the Hyur’s shoulder in exhaustion. Lyse, meanwhile, was using her arm on that side to cradle Autumn’s back and keep them close to her, while periodically resting her head on theirs. 

“You feeling any better?” Lyse whispered.

Autumn responded only with a muffled whine, while burying her face into Lyse’s side. Lyse couldn’t help but think that the vaunted Warrior of Light had turned into a household cat of some kind. She chuckled as the image came into her head. 

“Has anyone ever told you that you can be just... _adorable_ sometimes?” Lyse teased.

“You’d be surprised…” Autumn croaked, her eye twitching as she recalled countless related memories.

“Still, I’m… I’m sorry,” consoled Lyse.

“Sorry for what?”

“Alot of things I suppose, though... mostly the part about making you cry.”

“Oh… that. That wasn’t really your fault, moreso mine if anything,” murmured Autumn.

“...Anything you want to talk about?”

“I mean… the last time I felt an attraction toward anyone in particular, they… ended up dying shortly after I realized it. Saving me too, no less.”

“...Haurchefant, right?”

“Yeah…”

Neither spoke for a brief moment.

“...Wait, how do you know about Haurchefant? I don’t think you ever met him!” Autumn quizzed.

“Alphinaud mentioned him a few times to me,” Lyse replied. “He sounded like… he was a good man to know.”

Autumn smiled warmly. “He was…”  
  
“...And _that’s_ why I’m afraid,” she added.

“Hmm?”  
  
“Well… I’m the Warrior of Light, and you’re the commander of the Ala Mhigan Resistance. The odds of… _something_ happening to either us is rather high. And… truth be told, I don’t know if I could go through losing another person like him again... and I’d feel _doubly_ worse if I made you go through that same pain should something become of me!”

“Hey now!” Lyse exclaimed, pounding her chest, “I’m not gonna go down _that_ easily! And I doubt you will either!”

_Yes, let's just completely gloss over that one episode in Ghimlyt. Or, you know, the whole ‘nearly turned into a calamitous Sin Eater’ thing._

_Quiet you_ , Autumn hissed internally.

Lyse moved her hand up to Autumn's head and lightly rustled her hair. “I mean it, alright? I’m not going anywhere, not if I can help it anyways!”

Autumn scooted closer to Lyse while digging her head into her shoulder once more. “...Promise?”  
  
“I promise.”

“Good… good.” Autumn smiled softly, basking in the moment of comfort.

…

“ _Lyse? Where are you Lyse? Please tell me you’re still up there somewhere!”_

A feminine voice suddenly echoed up the mountainside. One that sounded distant, but the two could tell it was getting closer as they spoke.

“Oh gods, Naago!” Lyse gasped as she shot upward. “How long have we been up here?!”

“I can only assume a few hours, considering the sun’s getting ready to set,” answered Autumn, who slowly sat up.

“Alright... I’ll go on ahead!”

“I’ll come with then!”

“No no! U-um… you… wait here for a bit, I’ll head down first. She’s looking for me after all.”

Autumn raised her brow in confusion. “I-is there a problem with us going down together?”

“Yes! I-I mean no! I mean-! I don’t _not_ like you all of a sudd- Gah, no that’s-!”

“Lyse?”

“No no, it’s just-! Gah, why is this so hard now?! I-!”  
  
“ _Lyse._ ”  
  
“ _Y-yeah?!_ ”

“Breathe.”

Snapped out of her moment, the crimson-garbed woman took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks twice before continuing.

“I don’t want to give anyone any ideas… at least not yet, right? Since I’m still a commander, I probably need to find a proper way to break things to everyone, otherwise people might accuse me of goofing off or something… which probably wouldn’t be helpful in a time like this!”

Autumn considered Lyse’s statement for a moment as the latter looked on anxiously for approval. “Fair enough,” she eventually acquiesced. “Should I just… wait up here for a few minutes?”

“That or teleport away, I suppose.”  
  
“Alright,” Autumn confirmed. “I could probably use a moment to myself anyways.”

Lyse turned away and moved to sprint off down the mountainside. “Right then, we’ll talk again soon-!”

“W-Wait! Before you go!”

Lyse stopped abruptly, and turned back towards Autumn.

“Yeah?”  
  
“Could you… can I hear it one more time?”

Lyse flashed one final smile once she realized what they had meant.

“...I love you, Autumn.”

Tears formed in the corners of Autumn’s eyes as she reciprocated her smile.

“I love you too… Lyse.”

  
  
\--

“ _There_ you are! I was starting to think something had happened to you up there!”

Lyse had succeeded in catching up to M’naago in the courtyard towards the base of the cliffside path, the latter of whom proceeding to lightly chastise the former for their prolonged absence.

“Sorry about that Naago, I-I…” Lyse faltered as she tried to think up a believable lie. “Oh! I had someone tell me that some of the structures near the Temple were starting to break down a bit, so I went up to check them out, and i-it took a little longer than I expected.”

M’naago pursed her lips as she shot a confused look back in response.

“With the Warrior of Light? Were you expecting more Coeurls or ghosts or something up there?”

_...Crap._

“W-who said Autumn was with me?” Lyse feebly denied.

M’naago merely stared the woman down, her brow furrowing as she crossed her arms. _Oh gods, I’m just making her angrier_. 

“What are you hiding, Lyse? I _saw_ the two of you go up the path to the Temple hours ago! And let's not forget about everything you threw on my shoulders at the last minute just so you could sneak off with her to begin with!”

“B-because Autumn asked me to! She said she wanted to discuss some sensitive information about her last adventure!”

M’naago maintained her act for a moment longer, before softening her expression.

“Now was that so hard? Don’t worry, I had a feeling, considering you were carrying around her latest report like your life depended on it. I-”

She suddenly paused, leaning in closer to Lyse.

“Are you alright? I swear, your face is as red as… well, your dress!”

“W-what? Oh! Uh, i-it’s nothing! T-the sun _was_ really harsh today, probably got a bit of a sunburn is all! Ha! Haha! Ha…!”

M’naago squinted at her commander, her brow furrowing once more. _Okay, she's **definitely** hiding something else, but what? She almost looks as though- _

Realization struck her like a lightning bolt. “ _You didn’t_.”

Lyse shied away, her face turning an even deeper shade of red than before. A meek smile forming on her lips was more than enough confirmation for the Miqo’te.

“By the Twelve, _you did!_ You did it, didn’t you?!”

Lyse turned back, her smile growing with tears now forming in the corners of her eyes. “I… I did!”

“...And?!”

“...She loves me back!”

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!! Lyse, I’m so happy for you!” The two women grabbed each other and proceeded to scream and shout in joy, happily jumping in place in celebration. 

Once they had calmed down, M’naago playfully jabbed at Lyse’s shoulder. “Look at you, bagging the realm’s greatest hero! Your father would be proud!”  
  
Lyse could only manage a bashful giggle in response.

“Well then, now we _really_ got to keep those damn Imperials out! I’ll be damned if you don’t have your wedding here somewhere!”  
  
“W-wedding?! Aren’t we being a little hasty, Naago?!”

The two proceeded to walk down the remainder of the trail back towards Rhalgr’s Reach, locked in a predominately one-sided discussion on the logistics of an Ala Mhigan-style wedding…  
  
Meanwhile, back up at the summit, Autumn sat alone on the rock where she had spent most of the day, watching as the sun worked to finish its descent from the sky. For the first time in what seemed like ages, not a single thought wormed through her mind. She wore a soft smile as she gazed up at the sky, basking in a newfound warmth; a sense of peace that she had not enjoyed for far too long.

Yet such a feeling proved ever fleeting, as without warning, Autumn collapsed over onto her side. Her body was still physically exhausted from her travails on the First, and the added emotional exhaustion from today collectively hit the Elezen like a raging Behemoth.

_Gods… I could really use a vacation..._

  
  
~~

“...Is something the matter, dear sister?”  
  
Alphinaud peeked up from his tea to see Alisaie’s face sour as she moved to take a bit out of a chicken leg.

“I’ve… suddenly lost my appetite,” she sullenly reported, lightly dropping the leg back upon her dinner plate.

“You as well, Alisaie?”

A wispy voice came forward from the far side of the table. Its owner was the Crystal Exarch himself, who slowly lowered his fork back down into the bowl in front of him as his face indicated that he shared the twin’s sudden drop in mood. The three had convened at the Wandering Stairs just moments earlier to enjoy a hearty dinner after the exertions of the long day.

“Nothing for it, I suppose. In that case, I suggest we had best get back to-”  
  
“You will do no such thing, _milord_.”

The Exarch’s ears perked upward at the sound of the curt voice behind him. Lyna stood just off to the side, her arms crossed while glaring daggers towards him.

“You are to _sit_ and _eat_ , as we agreed. I won’t let you leave that table until you have finished at least _something_ in front of you.”

Defeated ‘ere the battle began, the Exarch sighed as he reluctantly picked his fork back up. “Very well, I shall endeavor to at least _try_ to enjoy my salad.”

Noting the satisfied smirk on Lyna’s face, Alphinaud turned his attention back to his sister. “Everything alright?”

Alisaie thought to herself for a few seconds before shrugging. “It’s nothing, I suppose.” With that, she picked up the chicken leg in front of her once more and unceremoniously took a large bite out of it.

The moment passed, Alphinaud quietly took another sip of his tea. He could not help but feel a strange warmth develop from out of nowhere as he did, as if some pleasant event had just taken place in some distant location.

 _A good omen, I should hope…_ he mused.

  
  
=END


End file.
